U.S. patent number 7,533,928 [Application Number 11/690,204] was granted by the patent office on 2009-05-19 for window deflector mechanism for a vehicle sliding roof system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to ArvinMeritor GmbH. Invention is credited to Christian Biewer, Michael Jugl.
United States Patent |
7,533,928 |
Biewer , et al. |
May 19, 2009 |
Window deflector mechanism for a vehicle sliding roof system
Abstract
A wind deflector mechanism for a vehicle sliding roof system
includes a wind deflector lever attached to a wind deflector
element. The wind deflector lever is attachable to a vehicle and
can be swiveled between a home position and a raised position. A
raising lever is coupled to the wind deflector lever and swivels
the wind deflector lever between the home position and the raised
position. A raising spring acts upon the raising lever
substantially in such a manner that the raising lever biases the
wind deflector lever toward the raised position.
Inventors: |
Biewer; Christian (Altheim,
DE), Jugl; Michael (Sulzbach, DE) |
Assignee: |
ArvinMeritor GmbH (Dietzenbach,
DE)
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Family
ID: |
36778274 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/690,204 |
Filed: |
March 23, 2007 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20070236052 A1 |
Oct 11, 2007 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Apr 6, 2006 [EP] |
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06007294 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
296/217;
296/180.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60J
7/22 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B60J
7/043 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;296/180.1,180.2,180.4,217 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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37 43 476 |
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Jul 1988 |
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DE |
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101 37 650 |
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Feb 2003 |
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DE |
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1 281 555 |
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Feb 2003 |
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EP |
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WO 2006/000340 |
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Jan 2006 |
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WO |
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Other References
European Search Report Dated Aug. 25, 2006. cited by other.
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Primary Examiner: Lyjak; Lori L
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Carlson, Gaskey & Olds
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A wind deflector mechanism for a vehicle sliding roof system,
comprising: a wind deflector lever on a wind deflector element,
wherein the wind deflector lever is adapted for attachment to a
vehicle and can be swiveled between a home position and a raised
position; a raising lever which is coupled to the wind deflector
lever and can swivel the wind deflector lever between the home
position and the raised position; and a raising spring which acts
upon the raising lever such that the raising lever biases the wind
deflector lever toward the raised position.
2. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the
raising lever is coupled with the wind deflector lever such that in
the raised position, a self-locking occurs such that the wind
deflector lever cannot be shifted toward the home position through
forces acting on the wind deflector lever by an air stream.
3. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the
raising lever is coupled with the wind deflector lever by a guiding
slot, and wherein the raising lever extends approximately
perpendicular to a direction of extension of the guiding slot when
the wind deflector lever is in the raised position.
4. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the
wind deflector element is one of a net and a fabric.
5. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a
working point for a movable component of the vehicle sliding roof
system is provided on the raising lever.
6. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the
raising spring is arranged relative to a swivel axis of the raising
lever such that the raising spring keeps the raising lever in a
home position when the wind deflector lever is in the home
position.
7. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the
raising lever is coupled with the wind deflector lever such that a
produced raising force is larger than a force of the raising spring
at least in a vicinity of the raised position.
8. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 1, including a
leg spring which biases the wind deflector lever toward the raised
position.
9. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the
wind deflector lever is coupled to a first bearing and the raising
lever is coupled to a second bearing positioned forward of the
first bearing.
10. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 9, wherein the
raising lever has a first end and a second end, the first end of
the raising lever being coupled directly to the second bearing at
the vehicle and the second end of the raising lever including a
stud coupled to the wind deflector lever.
11. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the
wind deflector lever includes a slot with the stud being slidingly
received within the slot.
12. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the
raising spring includes a first spring end and a second spring end,
the first spring end being associated with a third bearing and the
second spring end directly engaging the raising lever.
13. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 12, wherein the
third bearing is vertically lower than the second bearing and
wherein the third bearing is positioned between the first and the
second bearings.
14. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 12, wherein the
second spring end is attached to a central portion of the raising
lever at a position that is spaced from the first and second ends
of the raising lever.
15. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 14, wherein the
raising lever defines a working point that is located between the
second end of the raising lever and the second spring end.
16. The wind deflector mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the
raising lever is parallel to the wind deflector lever in the home
position and is perpendicular to the wind deflector lever in the
raised position.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The application claims priority to European Patent Application No.
06 007 294.9, which was filed on Apr. 6, 2006.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a wind deflector mechanism for a vehicle
sliding roof system.
A wind deflector mechanism of a vehicle sliding roof functions to
improve flow conditions whenever a cover of the sliding roof system
is in an open position. As seen in a direction of travel, the wind
deflector is usually provided on a front edge of a roof opening
that is exposed by the cover and is transferred from a lowered
position in which the wind deflector is situated underneath an
outer surface of the vehicle roof to a raised position when the
cover is opened.
From DE 102 10 142, there is known a wind deflector that includes a
wind deflector element that is configured as a flexible net or
fabric, with the wind deflector element being arranged between two
supporting elements. A first supporting element is firmly attached
to the vehicle roof, and a second supporting element is moved
between a lowered position and a raised position. A leg spring
serves as a hinge between the two supporting elements and can bias
the second supporting element toward the raised position. It is
possible that such wind deflectors could be unintentionally
displaced with respect to an operational angle as soon as an acting
wind-induced force is larger than a pretension of the leg spring.
If the wind deflector is displaced, it is not possible to prevent
wind noises, which could be annoying.
The invention therefore is based on the object to provide a wind
deflector mechanism with which it is possible to achieve, without
any large technical effort, a constant raising level that is
independent from an air stream.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This problem is solved by a wind deflector mechanism for a vehicle
sliding roof that includes a wind deflector lever attached to a
wind deflector element. The wind deflector lever is attachable to a
vehicle and is swiveled between a home position and a raised
position. A raising lever is coupled to the wind deflector lever
and can swivel the wind deflector lever between the home position
and the raised position. A raising spring acts upon the raising
lever in such a manner that the raising lever biases the wind
deflector lever substantially toward the raised position.
The invention benefits from the fact that a raising force is
produced in the raised position by a rigid component, namely the
raising lever, which is arranged such that the raising lever cannot
be displaced by a wind-induced force, and thus reliably transfers
the wind-induced forces into a vehicle body. The raising spring
does not serve to take up the wind loads, but acts upon the raising
lever in such a manner that the raising lever maintains the raised
position in which the raising lever is perpendicular to the wind
deflector lever. As there are no forces that are taken up by the
raising spring, the wind deflector lever is prevented from being
displaced unintentionally. The wind deflector mechanism provides a
functionally safe wind deflector without any large technical
effort.
The raising lever can be coupled with the wind deflector lever such
that in the raised position, a self-locking occurs where the wind
deflector lever cannot be shifted toward the home position through
the forces acting on it by the air stream. The existing
wind-induced forces are completely taken up by the raising lever
and the wind deflector lever. No component from the wind-induced
force acts on the raising spring, so that the wind deflector lever
is prevented from being displaced unintentionally.
The wind deflector element can be a net or a fabric, and the amount
of an open cross-section on an overall cross-section of the wind
deflector element can be used to adjust flow conditions in a
desired way when the cover of the sliding roof system is open.
A working point for a movable component of the sliding roof system
can be provided on a raising lever. The movable component is part
of a mechanism for a closing and opening system of the sliding
roof, so that there is no need for arranging additional components
for raising and lowering the raising lever.
According to a first embodiment, a working point for a movable
component of the sliding roof system is provided on the raising
lever in order to bias the wind deflector lever toward the raised
position and the home position. The movable component, in
particular the cover of the sliding roof system, causes the raising
of the wind deflector lever. Thus, an additional leg spring for
raising the wind deflector lever is not necessary.
The raising spring can be arranged relative to a swivel axis of the
raising lever in such a manner that it keeps the raising lever in
the home position when the wind deflector lever is in the home
position. A bearing of the raising spring is arranged to lie
somewhat underneath a swivel bearing of the raising lever and pulls
the raising lever downward so that the raising lever can be
retained in the home position. As such, a retaining mechanism for
retaining the raising lever in the home position can be omitted.
This, however, does not alter the fact that the raising spring acts
upon the raising lever, over a significant part of its swiveling
range, substantially in a direction in which the raising lever is
biased upwards.
According to a second embodiment, a leg spring is provided that
biases the wind deflector lever toward the raised position. When
the wind deflector lever moves, the leg spring will be pretensioned
from the raised position to the home position. The leg spring acts
upon the wind deflector lever toward the raised position as soon as
the cover has been shifted to an at least partially opened
position.
These and other features of the present invention can be best
understood from the following specification and drawings, the
following of which is a brief description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows a top view of a vehicle roof comprising a sliding roof
system and a wind deflector mechanism.
FIG. 2 is a perspective, cut view of a wind deflector mechanism in
a raised condition according to the prior art.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wind deflector mechanism of
FIG. 2, where the wind deflector mechanism is not mounted to the
vehicle roof.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a wind deflector mechanism of the
invention according to a first embodiment in a home position.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the wind deflector mechanism of FIG.
4 in a first intermediate position.
FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the wind deflector mechanism of FIG.
4 in a second intermediate position.
FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the wind deflector mechanism of FIG.
4 in a raised position.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a wind deflector mechanism of the
invention according to a second embodiment in a home position.
FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the wind deflector mechanism of FIG.
8 in a raised position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 shows a vehicle roof 10 that has a sliding roof system
comprising a roof opening 12 and a cover 14. The cover 14 can be
shifted from a closed position, in which the cover 14 closes the
roof opening 12, to an open position which is shown in FIG. 1, and
in which the roof opening 12 is exposed for the most part.
On a front edge of the roof opening 12 with regard to the vehicle,
a wind deflector mechanism 16 is attached that can be raised
outwardly when the cover 14 is in an at least partially open
position in order to improve flow conditions and prevent any
annoying noises.
FIGS. 2 and 3 show a wind deflector mechanism according to the
prior art. The wind deflector includes a first supporting element
18 that is firmly attached to a vehicle or to a mounting frame 20,
and a second supporting element 22 that can be swiveled relative to
the first supporting element 18. The two supporting elements 18, 22
are U-shaped, with a middle part extending along a front edge of
the roof opening 12 and with two legs of each extending along a
front portion of two side edges that surround the roof opening 12.
Each of the legs of the first and second supporting elements 18, 22
has a leg spring 24 attached to it. The leg spring 24 serves as a
hinge between the first and second supporting elements 18, 22 and
biases the second supporting element 22 toward a raised position in
which the second supporting element 22 is above an outer surface of
the vehicle roof 10. This position is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
Provided between the first supporting element 18 and the second
supporting element 22 is a wind deflector element 26 comprised of a
flexible material that is permeable to air, for instance a fabric
or a plastic film that is permeable to air.
As the second supporting element 22 is held in the raised position
solely by pretension of the leg spring 24, the second supporting
element 22 is inadvertently shifted toward the first supporting
element 18 as soon as a wind-induced force exceeds the pretension
of the leg spring 24.
FIGS. 4 to 7 schematically show a wind deflector mechanism 16 of
the invention in a first embodiment, whereas FIGS. 8 and 9 show the
wind deflector mechanism in a second embodiment. The same reference
symbols will be used for the components known from prior art, and
in this respect reference is made to the above explanations.
A wind deflector lever 28 is provided that is substantially
U-shaped and extends along the front edge of the roof opening 12
and along the front portion of the two side edges which surround
the roof opening 12. The wind deflector lever 28 has a guiding slot
38 that is engaged by a stud 40 of a raising lever 30. The wind
deflector lever 28 can be the second supporting element which is
known from prior art and is provided with a guiding slot 38.
Arranged on the wind deflector lever 28 is a wind deflector element
(not shown), as it is known from prior art.
The wind deflector lever 28 can be swiveled by the raising lever 30
around a bearing 34 between a home position (FIG. 4) in which the
wind deflector lever 28 lies underneath an outer sheet of the
vehicle roof 10, and a raised position (FIG. 7) in which it lies
above the outer sheet of the vehicle roof 10.
At an end opposite the stud 40, the raising lever 30 is pivotally
supported by a swivel bearing 36 on a vehicle body and can be
biased by a movable component of the sliding roof system (working
point 44) toward the raised position (FIG. 7). The movable
component is part of a closing and opening system of the cover 14,
for instance, or even the cover 14 itself.
A raising spring 32, configured as a tension spring, engages the
raising lever 30. The raising spring 32 is able to retain the
raising lever 30 in the home position (FIG. 4) and in the raised
position (FIG. 7). At an opposite end, the raising spring 32 is
supported on the vehicle body by a bearing 42 that is situated
underneath, i.e., positioned vertically lower than the swivel
bearing 36 of the raising lever 30.
FIG. 4 shows the wind deflector mechanism 16 in the home position
in which the raising lever 30 is approximately parallel to the wind
deflector lever 28, with the stud 40 being situated in front of the
swivel bearing 36 of the raising lever 30 in the direction of
travel F. The raising spring 32 retains the raising lever 30 in the
home position because the bearing 42 of the raising spring 32 is
arranged underneath the swivel bearing 36 and the raising spring 32
pulls the raising lever 30 downward.
FIG. 5 shows the wind deflector mechanism 16 in a first
intermediate position that is attained when the movable component
engages the raising lever 30 and shifts the raising lever 30 in a
shifting direction V. In this process, the stud 40 is shifted in
the guiding slot 38, and the raising lever 30 and the wind
deflector lever 28 connected therewith will be raised by a small
amount. In the first intermediate position, the raising lever 30
and the raising spring 32 lie on a straight line. The raising
spring 32 is in its dead center position from which the raising
spring 32 can click in both directions, i.e., upwards or
downwards.
FIG. 6 shows a second intermediate position that will be attained
when the movable component shifts the raising lever 30 further in
the shifting direction V. In this process, the stud 40 is moved in
the guiding slot 38 toward the bearing 34, whereby the raising
lever 30 and the wind deflector lever 28 are further raised.
FIG. 7 shows the raised position that is attained when the movable
component shifts the raising lever 30 through the working point 44
further in the shifting direction V. In the raised position, the
raising lever 30 is perpendicular to the wind deflector lever 28.
The raising spring 32 acts upon the raising lever 30 so that the
raising lever 30 assumes this position, and has its shortest length
in this position. When the wind deflector mechanism 16 is in the
raised position, the cover 14 of the sliding roof system is in an
at least partially opened position.
At least in the vicinity of the raised position, a produced raising
force is larger than a force of the raising spring 32, which
prevents the wind deflector lever 28 from inadvertently being
shifted to the home position by the wind-induced force. In the
raised position, the arising wind-induced forces are transferred
entirely to the vehicle body by the bearing 34 of the wind
deflector lever 28 and the swivel bearing 36 of the raising lever
30. The raising spring 32 does not serve to take up the wind loads,
but acts on the raising lever 30 such that the raising lever 30
maintains the raised position in which the raising lever 30 is
perpendicular to the wind deflector lever 28. As the raising spring
32 does not take up any forces, the wind deflector lever 28 is
prevented from shifting unintentionally.
When the cover 14 is shifted against the direction of travel F to
the closed position, the wind deflector mechanism 16 is moved
through the intermediate positions to the lowered position, with
the movable component engaging the raising lever 30 through the
working point 44. In this process, the line of action of the
raising spring 32 alters. During transition from the raised
position to the first intermediate position, the raising spring 32
is pretensioned until a dead center (FIG. 5) is reached. After
this, the raising spring 32 maintains the raising lever 30 in the
lowered position. It is due to the raising spring 32, and the
alteration of its line of action, that the raising lever 30 is
stably held in the lowered position and in the raised position as
well.
The second embodiment of the wind deflector mechanism 16 differs
from the first in the fact that a leg spring 46 is provided that
engages in an area of the bearing 34 of the wind deflector lever
28. The leg spring 46 can bias the wind deflector lever 28 toward
the raised position. In this embodiment, it is not necessary that
the movable component engages the raising lever 30 to transfer the
raising lever 30 to the raised position. The movable component
engages the raising lever 30 only to transfer the raising lever 30
to the home position. The exact mode of operation will be explained
in the following.
The wind deflector mechanism 16 is retained in the home position by
the closed cover 14 (FIG. 8), because the cover 14 rests at the
wind deflector lever 28 and presses the wind deflector lever 28
downward. In this position, the leg spring 46 is pretensioned.
As the cover 14 is shifted to the open position (i.e., on moving
the cover 14 against the direction of travel F), the wind deflector
lever 28 is biased by the pretensioned leg spring 46 toward the
raised position or an intermediate position, as soon as the cover
14 disengages from the wind deflector lever 28. The raising spring
32 biases the raising lever 30 toward the raised position as soon
as the raising spring 32 has exceeded its dead center. During
raising, the stud 40 is shifted in the guiding slot 38 until the
raising lever 30 is perpendicular to the wind deflector lever
28.
In the raised position, the raising lever 30 exclusively serves as
an arresting device for the wind deflector lever 28. The raising
spring 32 ensures that the raising lever 30 stays in its position
in which it is perpendicular to the guiding slot 38.
As the cover 14 is shifted in the direction of travel F, the wind
deflector mechanism 16 moves to the lowered position, the movable
component engaging the raising lever 30 through the working point
44. In this process, the raising lever 30 is displaced from the
position in which the raising lever 30 is perpendicular to the wind
deflector lever 28, whereby a shifting is made possible at all. The
movable component subsequently can engage the wind deflector lever
28 to bring the wind deflector mechanism 16 to the home position.
as shifting the wind deflector lever 28 is shifted from the raised
position, through the intermediate positions, which essentially
correspond to those of the first embodiment, to the home position,
the leg spring 46 will be pretensioned.
The wind deflector mechanism 16 is retained in the home position by
the movable component against the force of the leg spring 46.
Both embodiments ensure a wind deflector mechanism with a raising
level that does not alter depending on the air stream, whereby
annoying wind noises can be prevented.
Although an embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a
worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain
modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For
that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine
the true scope and content of this invention.
* * * * *